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Health & Fitness

Washington lawmakers slow down on proposal to overhaul DUI laws

Washington lawmakers had a proposal set in motion that would overhaul the state’s DUI laws, but after further deliberation, they have decided instead to focus on implementing a narrower set of proposals. The new proposal will be considered during a special session, and it is intended to focus on repeat DUI offenders. One representative from the House Public Safety Committee states, “We’re trying to change the law, and we have to be very deliberate.”

The original proposal to change the DUI laws in Washington was drawn up after two fatal crashes in Seattle were linked to alcohol, and it called for a 10-year ban on the purchasing of alcohol by people with three DUIs. However, the new proposal does not include this clause, nor does it require the “24/7 sobriety program” or requirement that all vehicles impounded for a DUI arrest be equipped with ignition interlock devices before being released from impoundment. Instead, the new proposal would mandate that only people who have been convicted of a previous DUI would be required to have an ignition interlock device installed in their cars, and they would have within 10 days of their arrest dates to do so.

The state of Washington imposes strict penalties for those who are convicted of driving while under the influence, and lawmakers are seeking to make those penalties even stricter. Some of the penalties for DUI convictions include stiff fines, jail time, community service time and the installation of ignition interlock devices in vehicles in addition to increased insurance costs and the possibility of being sued for any damages in civil court.

The severity of those consequences is influenced by whether or not the DUI charge is classified as a misdemeanor or a felony. People who are facing DUI charges might want to consider consulting a lawyer who may be able to negotiate with the prosecution to obtain them a lesser charge that comes with less severe sentencing guidelines. 

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